Thanks Lads!

E39MSport

Thanks to the 2 lads from Naas who gave us a dig out in Holyhead last night. I didn't get their names but I am very grateful to them.

Was in Newbury yesterday with a renter when I heard the news about the ash. Was due to fly at 18:10 to Dublin from LHR. At that point the news ws not so dire but when I heard about UK air space closing at 12 I weighed up my options.

Rental company wanted £750 plus vat to leave the car in Dublin. No thanks.

Stena only had foot passenger capacity on one sailing in the afternoon which I couldn't make. So, I booked the car on the Stena 21:30 and paid the extra day on the car and the drop off fee at Holyhead.
No problem.

BUT, when I arrived at the Ferryport there was no access to the Ferry for foot passengers and I wasn't the only person in that position! Turns out its a roro only sailing. I'd already dropped the keys into the black hole at the rental returns desk.

I made my way to the vehicle check in and was ignored along with other would be foot passengers for a while. After finally getting to speak to one of the check in 'gentlemen' I was informed that my ticket was worthless and if I wanted to get on board I would have to be in a vehicle and then pay as a foot passenger. This was only after a lone female managed to convince a male driver to let her into his car and begged the check in guy to allow her to pay the cash to board. She wasn't even booked !! Fair play to her I guess.

Most vehicles had checed in at this point. We hailed down an approaching UK reg car that had room in the back for 2 people. Turns out the 2 lads were Irish. After the initial shock and much pleading they let us into their newly acquired shiny passat and we proceeded to the check-in.

Turns out that the lads had been through their own commuting nightmare after being cancelled at Dublin airport very early that morning and then booked onto a cancelled return Ferry.

Now, the check in guy rejected their passage onto the Ferry with their earlier ticket even though they had been contacted by Stena and informed their booking was moved to a later Ferry! So I dug out my ticket and the guy lets us through on my booking.

What are the odds? It was a meeting made in heaven.

They took us off the boat too and we parted at the Taxi rank outside the Terminal. At least the taxi guys were on the ball.

Thanks Lads – I hope you made it back to Naas safely.

To the lady that blagged her way on, fair play to you. You looked like you were enjoying yourself with your new Friend in the bar.

To the other foot passengers that were trying to get on board that Ferry and probably others, I hope you made it.

Cookie_Monster

Lucky one mate, odd story.

I wonder why Stena was refusing foot passengers despite allowing tickets to be booked, thats pretty bad form.

KC61

Sailings between Holyhead and Dublin port on the Stena Nordica do not carry foot passengers but only cars and freight.

They are the 0215 and 1600 ex-Dublin and the 0820 and 2130 ex-Holyhead.

You have to be a passenger in a car to travel on them.

Cookie_Monster

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I wonder why Stena was refusing foot passengers despite allowing tickets to be booked, thats pretty bad form.

KC61 wrote: »

Some of the Stena sailings between Holyhead and Dublin port do not carry foot passengers but only cars and freight.

sorry, I misread the way he wrote it. He hadn't booked foot passenger on the later ferry, rather a vehicle ticket.

Sponge Bob

Be nice if someone lashed up a website to mate "foot" passengers with cars ...a car can take 4 people onto a ferry .

Then ring Joe Duffy and tell him

E39MSport

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Be nice if someone lashed up a website to mate "foot" passengers with cars ...a car can take 4 people onto a ferry .

Then ring Joe Duffy and tell him

Was thinking the same thing. I could even have sorted someone out with a free rental car from Holyhead to LHR if I could have trusted them to return the car.

On the foot passenger issue, Stena Customer Support told me that it wouldn't be an problem when I called them and informed them of my situation.

Anyway, we're back now and happy for it.

Sponge Bob

What happened to your old beemer anyway

E39MSport

Sponge Bob wrote: »

What happened to your old beemer anyway

which one

e39 is on the drive under a cover
e31 is out the back up on jacks

I was using a renter in the UK after flying over.

BenShermin

KC61 wrote: »

Sailings between Holyhead and Dublin port on the Stena Nordica do not carry foot passengers but only cars and freight.

They are the 0215 and 1600 ex-Dublin and the 0820 and 2130 ex-Holyhead.

You have to be a passenger in a car to travel on them.

In addition to that, the 0230 Holyhead to Dublin Port Stena Line sailing will NOT accept foot passengers.

There is no reason in my mind why Stena won't accept foot passengers on these services as they have the facilities. As a result of this I always travel with Irish Ferries on this route.

Madame Razz

You would think that under the circumstances at the moment that they would waive the 'no foot passenger' rule on these services. Surely financially it would be worth their while given the high demand.

KC61

It probably has more to do with the entrances/exits on the Stena Nordica.

BenShermin

KC61 wrote: »

It probably has more to do with the entrances/exits on the Stena Nordica.

Not the reason KC, the Stena Adventurer takes foot passengers on board by bus as opposed to a gangway, so Nordica could too.*

Madame Razz I'd say you're right, foot passengers not only pay their fare but also spend the most amount of money at the bar.

*in fact I travelled as at foot passenger on Stena Nordica when she stood in for Stena Europe on the Rosslare to Fishguard route in late 2008.

Oliver1985

Sound from the lads!!!
Did you stand with a hitch hiking sign saying Dublin?

E39MSport

Oliver1985 wrote: »

Sound from the lads!!!
Did you stand with a hitch hiking sign saying Dublin?

Should have !!

The young wun in front of me just fluttered her eyelids at some Italian Dude travelling by himself in a van.

I accosted the car/lads in question and begged. Sound indeed. I got them a cabin for their troubles and they looked a lot fresher when we met up again on the car deck.

On the vehicle only matter. A lady was giving it socks to a Stena Purser at the desk on board. She was complaining that an extra passenger she was carrying in her car was denied boarding. (looks like I got away with it big style). The Purser stated that they were legally bound by passenger numbers etc.

Sounds like BS to me. You could have filled up each car to the brim with people and there'd still be loads of capacity on the boat.

I found Stena very unhelpful in that regard and was very lucky indeed to board.

foggy_lad

apparently there is no need for all this panic and closing of airports and shrinkwrapping planes etc

and why would ferries not carry as many as they can? i would imaging every turned away passenger in distress will vow never to give the company that refused them a cent in future?

Cookie_Monster

foggy_lad wrote: »

apparently there is no need for all this panic and closing of airports and shrinkwrapping planes etc

in what sense?

foggy_lad

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

in what sense?

airline pilots are saying they will fly at lower altitudes adn be perfectly safe so the europewide ban is unneccessary and a bit foolish imo

Cookie_Monster

foggy_lad wrote: »

airline pilots are saying they will fly at lower altitudes adn be perfectly safe so the europewide ban is unneccessary and a bit foolish imo

But is it not the unpredictability of the cloud movement that is the real concern. IE, it may be safe over Ireland now but if the wind pushes it south or north or whatever it may not be again in 2 hours and them another 2 hours later it is. You'd end up with too much rerouting and traffic or damage to planes.

But I agree that certainly plane should be allow fly lower for the shorter routes at least. Hops to London from Dublin need not go above 20k ft under the circumstances

Papa_Lazarou

foggy_lad wrote: »

airline pilots are saying they will fly at lower altitudes adn be perfectly safe so the europewide ban is unneccessary and a bit foolish imo

Oh if it was only that easy. By flying down below the ash cloud(or low enough not to feel the effects) fuel consumption on the airplanes will rocket!!!

It would be grand for short flights but for longers one that need to cruise at higher altitudes its not viable.